1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a filter press and more particularly to a method of positioning a filter cake discharge device for a filter press.
2. Background of the Invention
In order to discharge filter cakes of a filter press, heretofore, when filter plates are separately opened one by one after completion of a pressing, a filter cake discharge device is moved about the filter plates in the closing and opening direction thereof until it reaches the mid portion of a filter cloth or plates to remove the cakes therefrom by vibrating the filter cloth or jetting cleaning liquid thereagainst. Such a filter press is disclosed in application Ser. No. 679,439 filed on Apr. 22, 1976 now abandoned. With this arrangement the filter plates often assume a tilted position during opening or when stopped due to an old or worn filter cloth, clogged clakes at the bottom of the filter plates used for many years, or any slacks in a shifting mechanism for the filter plates. If a cake discharging operation is effected with the tilted filter plate, there is a risk of damage to the filter cloth or plate and a complete discharge of filter cakes cannot be accomplished because the filter cake discharge device is not in the best position for discharging the cakes.
Particularly, with a heretofore known filter press wherein filter plates and filter cake discharge device are connected with each other by a chain in order to drive these members by a single driving means, there is a tendency for open positions of the filter plates to be shifted owing to an elongation of the chain. It is evident that such an incorrect positioning of the filter plates will obstruct the complete discharge of the filter cakes.